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Reports: Israeli officials obtained Hamas’s battle plan over a year before Oct. 7 happened

By Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
NIR YITZHAK, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 25: Soldiers walk through this kibbutz after Hamas militants shot at and killed civilians, as well as kidnapping them in homes two weeks earlier near the border with Gaza on October 25, 2023 in Nir Yitzhak, Israel. In the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that left an estimated 1,400 dead and 200 kidnapped, Israel launched a sustained bombardment of the Gaza Strip and threatened a ground invasion to vanquish the militant group that governs the Palestinian territory. But the fate of the hostages, Israelis and foreign nationals who are being held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as international pressure over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, have complicated Israel's military response to the attacks. A timeline for a proposed ground invasion remains unclear. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Israel's Response To Hamas Attack Complicated By Hostages And Concerns Over Gaza Campaign NIR YITZHAK, ISRAEL - OCTOBER 25: Soldiers walk through this kibbutz after Hamas militants shot at and killed civilians, as well as kidnapping them in homes two weeks earlier near the border with Gaza on October 25, 2023 in Nir Yitzhak, Israel. In the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas that left an estimated 1,400 dead and 200 kidnapped, Israel launched a sustained bombardment of the Gaza Strip and threatened a ground invasion to vanquish the militant group that governs the Palestinian territory. But the fate of the hostages, Israelis and foreign nationals who are being held by Hamas in Gaza, as well as international pressure over the humanitarian situation in Gaza, have complicated Israel's military response to the attacks. A timeline for a proposed ground invasion remains unclear. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images) (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
By Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk

Israeli officials reportedly received Hamas’s plan for the terrorist attack that took place on Oct. 7 more than a year before it happened, according to the New York Times.

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It was a 40-page document that Israeli officials called “Jericho Wall.” The plan addressed the exact kind of invasion that occurred which led to the deaths of around 1,200 people.

The Times said it received a translated version of the document that it reviewed and found that there was no set date for the attack. However, it showed “a methodical assault designed to overwhelm the fortifications around the Gaza Strip, take over Israeli cities and storm key military bases, including a division headquarters.”

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According to the document, a barrage of rockets would be launche, drones would be used to get rid of security cameras and automated machine guns were going to be used on the border. According to the Times, the document also described gunmen going into Israel in paragliders, on foot and by motorcycle. All of those things happened in the Oct. 7 attack, the Times reported.

It is unclear if the document was seen by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other political leaders, according to the Times.

A veteran analysis with Israel’s Signals Intelligence Agency warned that Hamas was undergoing extensive training exercises in July. Those concerns were reportedly brushed off by a colonel in the Gaza division, according to encrypted emails that the Times reviewed.

Groups carried out joint drills in Gaza that were reportedly similar to what happened during the Oct. 7 attack. According to the BBC, this was going on less than a mile from the Israel barrier. They reportedly posted the drills on social media.

“They practiced hostage-taking, raiding compounds and breaching Israel’s defenses during these exercises, the last of which was held just 25 days before the attack,” the BBC reported.

Officials privately said that if the military took these warnings seriously, there may have been a different outcome or the attacks could have been possibly prevented. Instead, the Israeli military was unprepared, the Times reported.

The Israeli military and the Israeli Security Agency declined to comment, the Times reported.

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